Ireland.

consequence of a severe cold , he was unable to read , but he would ask Bro . Lanyon to do so for him . Bro . LAXVOX then read the reply of Bro . Tracy , as follows : — "Tomy dear Brethren , —I have read your Address with feelings to which I have no language to give utterance , and for the fraternal kindness of which I cannot find words to express my most grateful acknowledgments .

" To say that I am about to separate from you with tbe deepest regret—perhaps for ever—bufc poorly tells how much I sorrow for that separation ; whilst , at the same time , I am greatly consoled by the conviction that our remembrance of each other will remain , uninfluenced by either time or distance , ancl that you will receive with all the warm friendship of other days whenever it may be my good fortune to come amongst you again . "I rejoice at your approval ofthe manner in which I have

discharged tlie high office entrusted to me for many years past by ouv noble Provincial Grand Master ; and I am proud to acknowledge the high terms of satisfaction in which his lordship has kindly sanctioned your award in my favour . ' * For your allusion to my services in the sacred cause of charity , I would be more thankful than I am if I could think myself entitled as a principal to your eulogium ; but knowing that I have been but little more than the dispenser of other men's

bounty , I must nofc lay claim to any praise on the subject , and I therefore freely tender it to those to whom ifc is most eminently clue . " It is true that I have been a warm advocate of the interests of our invaluable Female Orphan School ; and , in the names of of the widows and orphans of our Order , I heartily thank you for your generous support of that interesting ancl excellent institution .

" Our long ancl intimate connexion having been distinguished hy the most affectionate and uniform kindness on your part , it needed not the magnificent gift you purpose presenting to me to fix that kindness in my grateful memory for ever , That gift , though formed of sterling silver , is still not without alloy , but the chain which links us to each other is formed of nature's purer metal—the product of the heart—and is , therefore , above all price .

" For the former , I beg you to receive my sincerest thanks ; and that the hitter may long unite us in the bonds of brotherly love is my most ardent prayer . " I thank you from my heart for your confidence in , and kindness to me during the long period that we have acted together in the works of Freemasonry ; and I now reluctantly , but affectionately , bid you farewell !" The brethren then adjourned to

THE DINIVSE . Bro . SAMUEL GIBSOJT GETTY , ALP ., e : c-D . Prov . G . M . occupied the chair , with the guest of the evening ( Bro . Tracy ) on his right , and Bro . Lanyon on his left . Those present at dinner were almost entirely the same as those in attendance' at tho presentation , so that we need not repeat the names . The dinner , which was supplied by Mr . Linden , Corn Market , was of the finest description , and the wines were of the choicest vintage .

The cloth having boon removed , a vei-y fine choir which was in attendance sang , in excellent style , " Nos nobis Domine . " The CIIAIEMAJT , after giving the usual loyal toasts , said : Brethren , I ask you to charge your glasses . I have now the honour to propose that you drink to the health of the head of our Order iu Ireland , his Grace tlie Duke of Leinster ( Hear , hear . )—Ireland's only Duke . " He has thought fit to preside for years over our society in Irelandand it certainly wouldI am

, , sure , be a source of gratification to him to preside here to-night —to see such a number of true-hearted Masons as are now around our board to do honour to a guest such as ours , associated as he is with him by his position in this province . ( Hear , hear . ) I am convinced that if his Grace the Duke of Leinster , the head of our Order in Ireland , were present to-night , he would be highly gratified . ( Hear , hear . ) I give you ' ' Tbe Health of the Duke of Leinster . " Long may he bold bis position among the

Masons of Ireland , and long may he retain the position he has always maintained among the Craft throughout the world . ( Loud applause , the fire being given in true Masonic style . ) The chairman proposed " The Health of the Grand Master of Scotland , the Duke of Atholl ; and the Grand Master of England , the Earl of Zetland , ancl their respective lodges , " which was drank with appropriate honours . Then followed the " Health of the Provinc-bilGi-and Master of Belfast and North Down . "

The chairman then proposed the toast of the evening— " The Health of our worthy ancl esteemed and respected friend , Bro . Tracy . " ( Loud cheers . ) The toast was received with full Masonic honours , cheerings , waving of hankerchiefs , ancl other marks of respect . Bro . TBACY on vising to respond , was received with most enthusiastic iippl . iusd , renewed again and again . AVhen fche applause subsided , be said—in consequence of severe indisposition he was

obliged to ask a kind brother to read his reply to their address that evening , and he now stood up to make a fruitless attempt to express what he felt , because he was apprised that , both by want of words ancl ability to express himself fully , he could not say what he felt that evening from their kindness . Bro . Tracy went on to say that he had every expectation he would have heen received kindly , bufc he did not expect such a reception as had been then given him as the completing honour offered to him . When

he first came to Belfast he came with a good report of it from the Masonic inhabitants of other parts of Ireland . The brethren of Belfast took him on trust , and he was proud to say that , by the acclamation with whieh his name had been received that evening , the brethren of Belfast asserted that they had not found him wanting . ( Applause . ) In their address presented to him that evening , so flattering beyond his deserts , they had clone credit to his services in the cause of charity . He had been long

an almoner of their bounty , ancl whenever he asked they generously gave—ancl at a time when very frequently local claims were pressing upon them . On this subject he would confine himself to one simple tact . In reference to their very valuable school , erected to maintain ancl support the children of their deceased brethren , he had this year transmitted from his brethren £ 150 . ( Applause . ) This he had done through thenassistancein addition to many other contributions which they

, had placed in his hands for the purpose of aiding the distressed , and drying the tear from the widow ' s cheeks . ( Applause . ) He could , if so disposed ancl if time permitted , state to them many details of fche benefits which Masonry had conferred in addition to what he had already stated . Often ancl often in their limited meetings he had proved that he was not a trained speaker , and now , when he saw such a crowd of brethren around him , and many of them from afar , he felt the greatest

difficulty in expressing what he wished to communicate ; but this be would say , that , during his long connection with the body here and elsewhere , he bad never seen anything in Masonry which be did nofc approve of , and , after forty years' connection with it , if he had his life to commence again he would join the Masonic order . After referring to his successor in the office of D . Prov . G . M ., he called upon them to drink the health of his predecessor , Bro . Getty ( their chairman ) . He proposed his

health very much on public grounds ; still they would pardon him if he expressed how much he felt honoured in Bro . Getty coming the whole way from London to be present at the meeting ( applause ) , and he wished he could do something to return the favour conferred upon him . He had only one word move to say , and that was with respect to their beautiful testimonial . He should ever preserve it , and he would hand it clown to his sons after him , the eldest of whom was a Mason , and the others ,

he hoped , would soon follow his example . ( Applause . ) From his heart he again thanked them for the honour they had conferred upon him , ancl would conclude by wishing them all the health and happiness this world could afford . ( Loud applause . ) The CIIAIMIAJT , having briefly responded , again rose and said that on the printed programme of toasts there was what appeared to him to have been an oversight on the part of the committee—the remembrance of a brother who had done in his

day and generation perhaps as much for Masonry as any other man in the North of Ireland . He meant Archdeacon Slant , whom ho would call upon . Archdeacon MANT , iu responding , said he had been taken completely by surprise in being called upon to make a speech . He came there that evening for the purpose of paying a deserved mark of affection which the brethren had also paid to an old ancl respected friend and brother . Of all persons—of all

brethren among them—perhaps there was no one who should less properly bo absent from such a ceremonial or such a testimonial to Bro . Tracy than he ( Archdeacon Mant ) , for he had known him longer than any one present , and ivas united to him in the closest bonds of Masonic fellowship before ever he came to Belfast . It was gratifying to him , imbued from his earliest years of manhood with the principles of Freemasonry , to see how the society had established itself there , ancl he was rejoiced to see that the society over which he had presided for seven or